


Osechi Ryori

by Kalira



Series: Domestic Wolf [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Discord: Umino Hours, Fluff, Food, Holidays, M/M, Osechi Ryori, Traditions, Umino Hours Winter Bingo, Umino Hours Winter Bingo 2020-2021, food is love, new year's
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:20:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29075481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira
Summary: Kakashi and Iruka are set to bring in a quiet, uneventful New Year together, and quite happy for it; Sakura brings a little extra good fortune for her sensei to mark the holiday in traditional fashion.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi, Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Series: Domestic Wolf [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1668181
Comments: 4
Kudos: 53
Collections: Dog Sensei & Sparklepuppy, Kalira's Iruka Winter Bingo Stories (2020-2021), The Umino Hours Winter Bingo 2020





	Osechi Ryori

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the space 'Osechi Ryori' on [my Iruka Winter Bingo board](https://kalira.dreamwidth.org/33520.html)!
> 
> Osechi Ryori are, of course, traditional New Year's foods, many brightly-coloured, and often with some wordplay for fortune, prosperity, happiness, and so on.
> 
> I had a plan for this from early on, but did not wind up having time to get it written before New Year's . . . so have it a bit late, but still in for the Bingo~

Kakashi had been mostly asleep before Iruka stirred on top of him, fingers tapping against his collarbone. “Not expecting anyone, were we?” Iruka asked, and Kakashi grumbled faintly as he woke fully.

There was a tap at the door, and Kakashi looked that way reflexively, surprised. “No.”

They had been planning for an _incredibly boring_ New Year’s spent together, they certainly weren’t expecting company. However. . .

Kakashi trailed a hand down Iruka’s back, then nudged him off. “I’ll go.” he said, rising and tugging his mask back up over his face, wondering if he was being called in and what for; if he would have to leave immediately, if it was something Sakura could not shadow him for. . .

Sakura beamed at him from the engawa. “Happy New Year sensei!” she said brightly.

“. . .Happy New Year, pup.” Kakashi nodded to her.

“I brought this for you and Iruka-sensei!” Sakura said, holding up a pretty jubako; black with golden waves chasing one another around the three layers.

“You brought. . .” Kakashi cocked his head.

Sakura huffed, puffing a lock of hair out of her face and holding the jubako out to him. Kakashi accepted it if only because she was very pointedly waiting for him to do so.

“It’s _tradition_ , sensei!” Sakura smiled, reaching up to neaten her hair and then pulling her coat - the one he had given her as winter began to deepen - closer around herself, nestling her chin into the fluffy collar. “I didn’t think you were likely to have made one yourself, so I made an extra for you and Iruka-sensei.”

Kakashi’s chest squeezed. “Oh.”

“For luck and hope!” Sakura smiled, tilting her head.

“Thank you, pup.” Kakashi said softly, and Sakura hopped forwards. “Oh; come in?” he invited belatedly.

“No thank you!” Sakura hugged him, leaning her head against his shoulder, and Kakashi wrapped one arm around her in return. “I’d better get back to my parents, you know. I just wanted you to have this.”

Sakura stepped back. “Happy New Year, Iruka-sensei!” she called past him, tucking her hands in her coat pockets.

“Happy New Year, Sakura-chan!” Iruka called back, and she giggled.

“Good night, Kakashi-sensei.” Sakura bobbed her head, then turned and trotted towards the open gate as he called his response after her.

Kakashi shook his head slightly, stepping back inside and closing the door, eying the jubako his apprentice had brought. He tugged his mask down on the way back towards the main room, balancing the jubako in one hand.

“Has Sakura-chan left again already?” Iruka asked, and Kakashi shrugged.

“She only wanted to bring us this.” Kakashi held it up, then set it down near the cushions as he settled into them again himself.

“Your puppy does take good care of you.” Iruka opined, leaning over Kakashi’s shoulder and looking at it.

Kakashi frowned. “That isn’t-”

Iruka caught his arm and squeezed. “Let her. You look after her most of the time, let her do the little things, darling. It isn’t a bad thing.”

Kakashi hummed uncertainly, but he had to accede to his mate’s point - Sakura did seem happier and more confident in herself, and _that_ he could not protest.

“What did she bring us?” Iruka asked, fingers trailing up and down Kakashi’s side. “It’s been years since I’ve actually eaten osechi ryori.”

“Me as well.” Kakashi admitted. It had been . . . since Minato-sensei had invited him - nearly dragged him - home and he had shared the holiday with Minato-sensei and Kushina. Since then, it simply hadn’t been. . .

Kakashi shook his head slightly, nudging into Iruka’s side. Iruka made a soft sound and wrapped an arm around him, snuggling closer; keeping sorrowful memories at bay with warmth and presence.

Kakashi tilted his head to brush a grateful kiss to his mate’s jaw.

Iruka smiled and cupped his jaw, drawing him into a light kiss. Iruka smiled as he drew back, eyes dropping. “So what _did_ your apprentice bring us?”

Kakashi smoothed a hand over the top of the jubako, then moved to take it apart to its component layers as Iruka settled more comfortably at his side. They were beautifully arranged, with neat rows of different foods sharing space comfortably, separated by smaller dishes and large folded leaves.

Kakashi picked up one of the kamaboku, finding that rather than the traditional ichimatsu pattern he had thought, it was solid white with a jagged pink pattern like lightning wrapping around the centre. Alternating with those were tazuna kamaboku, but along their plain sides there swirling patterns of tiny bright sakura.

Not the most traditional, but they made Kakashi smile.

“Oh! Sakura!” Iruka said, dusting rice flour off his fingers from the mochi he had already eaten. “Impressive.”

Kakashi brushed his fingertips over the corner of Iruka’s mouth, dusting more flour off his lips as he laughed.

“I’ll get the ozoni from the kitchen and bring some chopsticks, mm?” Iruka offered, and Kakashi nodded, nudging him off. He took one of the kabumaki to eat himself while he waited, thinking about Sakura working alongside her mother, most likely, and putting this together for them.

His cheerful pup’s care was quite enough to make him appreciate his good fortune, regardless of the wishes represented by the food she had brought, Kakashi thought fondly. Kakashi looked up with a smile as Iruka returned, a bowl in each hand, and pulled him into a warm kiss as soon as he had put them down.

Kakashi had spent a long time without a pack, and he never forgot to be thankful for the one he now had.

**Author's Note:**

> Among quite a few other things, the jubako contains as specifically mentioned:
> 
> Kamaboko - decorative fishcakes (very similar to naruto, and made of the same stuff)  
> Dafuku mochi - rice cake, in this case (though Kakashi didn't yet notice) filled with anko  
> Sake no kobumaki - salmon konbu rolls
> 
> The ozoni is a traditional New Year's soup that varies widely by region/family tradition, and is the only said traditional food it seems Kakashi and Iruka were going to have tonight, of their own accord.


End file.
